Oedipus and Ophelia
by keliz2005
Summary: A trip into Jack's past helps both him and Elizabeth come to terms with their place in the world. Possible spoilers for AWE. On Permanent Hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own jack.

**Beware, Possible Spoilers for AWE ahead.**

A/N: When I wrote 'She Named Him Jack' I knew it would be confusing, but I didn't realise it would be as confusing to some as it was. This isn't a sequel, but it's in the same AU. I'm taking a few liberties with the timeline, but if T&T can do it, so can I. I'm also taking some small liberties with the Oedipus mythology, since I can't remember much of it anyway. And this has **_nothing_** to do with Freud's theory, just so you know.

A/N2: Sorry about deleting this earlier. Anyway…

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**Oedipus and Ophelia**

It was over.

Both sides were nearly destroyed. The pirate armada was all but wiped out, and the East India Trading Company's head had been severed when Beckett went down with his ship. The Brethren had released Calypso from her prison of flesh. She had returned under the ocean's waves to where she belonged. And Davy Jones was gone. The heart that he had torn from his chest thumped no more. A steady hand and a simple rusted knife had seen to that.

The Black Pearl had limped back to Singapore. She was missing half a mast, and had been taking on water through the many gapping holes in her hull. It would be weeks before she was seaworthy again. Her crew was in no better shape. Between all the broken bones and missing limbs over half of the remaining crew was laid up in bed. Gibbs and Ragetti would be healed enough to go back to work when the Pearl was ready to leave, but the others would need more time before they could move. Jack had no plans on leaving anyone behind, so he was left with no choice but to idle on land for at least two months while he waited. He stood on the docks overseeing the repairs being made most days. There wasn't much he could do otherwise. Even if his right arm wasn't in a sling, he wasn't a ship builder or carpenter.

Elizabeth was the only one to come out of the battle physically unscathed. But emotionally she was as much a wreck as the Pearl. The loss of her fiancé on top of her father's death had left her broken. The strong-willed woman that had donned men's clothing, that fought against and along side pirates, had become the delicate and vulnerable girl she'd spent most of her life running from. She spent most of her time closed up in her room at the inn, only coming out to eat. And Jack didn't like it. He planned to do something about it.

He didn't bother knocking when he got to her room. She hadn't answered any other time he had, so there was no point. He stepped back and being careful of his arm, he raised his foot to the door and kicked it in. Elizabeth must have been sleeping, if her lack of clothes were any indication.

"Jack!" she screamed from the bed, franticly pulling up the sheets to cover herself. "What do you think your doing?"

He stepped through the doorway. "There's no need for modesty, love. I've seen it all already." Her clothes were pilled on a chair in the corner. He picked them up and went to hand them to her. "Put them on," he ordered.

"You barge into my room while I am sleeping, breaking the door in the process, and you expect me to just drop everything and do what you want? I think not, Captain Sparrow. Please leave me be."

He smirked at her. "Suit yourself, love. But I'm guessin that in a few minutes, Xiang, the owner of this fine establishment is goin to be up here wonderin what all that racket was when I broke the door. If ye want to be alone, wearin nothin but a sheet when that happens, I won't stop ye."

She grabbed the clothes from him. "Insufferable wretch," she muttered as she ducked under the sheet to dress. For his part, Jack didn't try to steal a glimpse of her bare skin. He was busy moving about the room, picking up Elizabeth's remaining possessions, not that there were many. He picked up her cutlass that had leaned against the chair in the corner and hooked it to his belt. He pocketed her few pieces of jewellery that sat on the desktop. He looked around, but couldn't find the last thing he knew she had.

"Where is it?" he asked as he turned back toward her. She was finished dressing and was pulling on her boots.

"Where is what?" she countered once her boots were on.

He scowled and stepped closer. "Lizzie."

Her resolve fell away. She reached under the pillow and pulled out what he'd been looking for. The small, rusted knife. Her knuckles were white she was clutching it so hard. He raised his eyebrows.

"I didn't want to sleep without any defence against intruders," she explained, "since the door didn't lock."

He frowned. "Oh," he said looking at the remnants of the door. "No matter. Xiang owes me anyway." He turned back to his companion. She was focused on the knife, and her grip on it hadn't lessened.

He sighed, "Love, give me the knife." She didn't seem to hear him. He slowly sat next to her and put his hand on top of hers. She was startled, but didn't move. "Lizzie darlin, let go. That's it, love." Trying to reassure her, he rubbed his thumb over her hand until she relaxed her hold enough for him to take the knife. He put it inside his coat, under his broken arm.

Her hands clenched in her lap, and tears were spilling down her cheeks. "What am I supposed to do now?" she asked him, as if he had all the answers. Standing, he wrapped his hand around her arm and pulled her to her feet.

"Yer comin with me," he simply said before he dragged her past the broken door and down the hall. She followed without struggling. Halfway down the stairs, they met Xiang. Jack let go of her arm to get some coins out of his pocket, which he passed to the innkeeper. "For the door." He grabbed Elizabeth's arm again, and kept going, not giving the man a chance to speak.

"Why did you give him money?" Elizabeth asked when they were out of earshot.

"So he still owes me." At her questioning look, he went on. "The door's not worth half as much as his debt."

They walked out into the street and turned toward the harbour. Elizabeth hadn't asked where they were going, and Jack was wondering if she cared. When they came to the docks, they went right. He thought that seemed to peek her interest.

"Um, Jack, the Pearl's back that way." She pointed behind them.

He smirked but kept going. "I know where my ship is, darlin."

"Isn't that where we're going?" He could tell she was beginning to get worried.

"No." He stopped and turned to face her head on. "Lizzie, ye haven't left that room of yers for more than an hour since we landed here. Locking yerself away from the world isn't goin to help ye forget what happened, no matter what ye think. The memories and the pain will only bounce off the walls, drivin ye crazy until it chokes the life from ye. Ye need to get out." He took her hand in his. "So, ye and I are goin for a little trip. How does that sound?"

"Wha– why…where are you taking me?" She was clearly confused.

"I don't know. I was thinking India."

"India!" she nearly screeched. "And how do you purpose we get there? Even if the Pearl was seaworthy, most of the crew is still bedbound."

"That's is why I've arranged for an alternate means of transport." He directed her attention to the ship they were standing in front of. It was smaller than the Black Pearl, but she looked sturdy enough. "Well?" He looked at her expectantly.

She hesitated for a second before squeezing his hand with hers. "India?"

He smirked. "India." 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own POTC or anything affiliated with it.

A/N: Ok, its been a few days since I posted the first chapter, and since then I have written and rewritten this chapter more times than I ever did anything before in my life. Gawd, it was like pulling teeth trying to get anything out on the page and then I hated everything I wrote. I'm still not satisfied. That is why this is so short. I apologise to anyone who was looking for more, but it just wouldn't come. Think of this chapter as an interlude, if you will. Anyway, if anyone can guess the significance of the ship's name, you get a cookie.

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**Oedipus and Ophelia**

Chapter 2

The golden sun hovered over the hills surrounding the harbour as the _Haihu_ glided into the port. The small crew went about their tasks that would get them safely to the docks, careful to avoid the woman who stood frozen on deck. Elizabeth was looking out at the countryside and beginning to regret taking Jack up on his offer. Rundown buildings and the remnants of a fort were scattered amongst the hills, and there appeared to be little to no human life anywhere. This was not turning into the trip that she'd envisioned.

"This is India?" she asked no one in particular, incredulous of Jack and his navigating skills. She thought perhaps his compass truly was broken this time.

His voice came from behind her. "Bengal, to be more exact." A hand pointed over her shoulder towards the mouth of a river. "Ye keep up that way to get to Calcutta."

She spun around to face him. "Jack! Calcutta is under the East India Company's control. We can't go there. I'm sure that by now all the company will be looking for us. They'll capture and hang us for sure." She buried her face in her hands. "Oh, I knew I was going to regret this, I just knew it." His chuckling made her look up. "I fail to see what you find so funny about this, Captain Sparrow," she said angrily.

He stopped laughing, but the smirk remained. "Don't worry about the Company, love. We're not goin to Calcutta."

"We're not?" She was obviously confused. "Then why have we stopped?"

"Cause we've reached our destination," he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He turned to the nearest crewmen. "Be ready to set sail on the morning tide. We'll be back by then." He held out his hand to her. "Shall we?"

She crossed her arms and stood her ground. "No, we shall not. I am not leaving this ship until you tell me where exactly it is that we are going."

He sighed. "Fine." Catching her off guard, he pulled her to his chest, turning her so they both faced the same way. His left hand came up and pointed to one of the hills. "Look, see that large house up on the hill. The one that's still in one piece." When she nodded, he continued. "That's where we're goin." She felt his lips dangerously close to her ear and he whispered, "Satisfied?"

She swallowed. "Yes," came her breathless answer.

"Good." He backed away abruptly and she found she missed his warmth. He moved around her and headed down the gangplank without looking back to see if she followed. She stood where he had left her, watching him swagger down the docks, leaving her behind. She couldn't believe he had left her alone with virtual strangers. And all to rummage around in an abandoned town so close to enemy territory. This was not the trip she had expected at all. Where was the famed Indian culture? Where were the people? And why had Jack so keen on being here? She was beginning to think there was more to this trip than her promised leisurely holiday, and she intended to find out what. She grabbed her satchel and ran after him.


End file.
